Monday, 14 January 2019

Backtrace

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Matthew Modine, and Ryan
Guzman

Director: Brian A. Miller

92 minutes (15) 2018

Signature DVD Region 2

Rating: 6/10

Review by Jeff Young

Seven years after a robbery gone awry, the lone survivor
of a shoot-out is snuck out of a secure hospital. The patient, Macdonald
(Matthew Modine), decides on the spot to take a red pill as the first stage of testing
an experimental drug to fix his memory problems. A former nurse, Erin (Meadow
Williams), administers this clearly illicit treatment, reviving a lost history
with tortuous scenes of mental quakes and camera shakes. Stallone plays the top
detective, Sykes, unexcitedly musing about professionalism and sharpness of
conduct in the field.

A somewhat grungy authenticity elevates this otherwise
lacklustre picture from apparent production-line origins (perhaps it was shot
while Miller’s favourite lead Willis was away for his annual weekender
holiday?). As a violent crime drama, Backtrace
is made more worthwhile by its vaguely sci-fi mystery elements of the amnesia
thriller formula, where recall forms the basis for identity and persona, in
addition to uncovering a lost but never forgotten, and highly desirable prize.

In this particular case, it’s the secret location of the
robbery’s reportedly buried loot. Backtrace
concerns a $20-million treasure map stashed in the back of Macdonald’s head. The
puzzle is painstakingly unravelled with much of the agony suffered by Macdonald,
as Modine registers the character’s traumatic experiences and his intense
struggle to fully remember what’s happened to him. A guns-blazing finale is no
guarantee of thrilling quality, but Backtrace
does not fail in that respect.